Ride guide · Gerstlauer Sky Roller

Skyhawk, Canada's Wonderland · Updated July 2026

How to make Skyhawk spin

Skyhawk, the airplane ride at Canada's Wonderland, lets you flip up to 75 times, or just dangle there doing nothing. You control both wings the whole ride, and most people get zero. Here's the exact 6-step trick that makes it spin, the same one that works on Dragon Racer's Rally at Epic Universe.

TL;DRThe 6-step trick

Set the wings, one up, one down. Any seat. Opposite angles catch the wind.
Lean into the low wing. Start a rock, like the first push on a swing.
Switch wings when momentum stops. Top of each rock, flip both. This is the one people miss.
Lean the new direction. Weight follows the low wing.
Keep pumping, higher each time. Switch, lean, switch, lean.
Over the top, lock in. Stop switching, hold, keep leaning. Now you're flipping.

Read the method Watch it work

Watch

See it work, then steal the trick

My son narrates his real POV and counts every flip out loud, all the way to 34. Then he walks you through the 6 steps for your next ride.

Full video on YouTube · follow @ridereadyapp for more park tricks

Why it won't spin for you

I Googled it in line every single visit and never got it. Then my son set the wings, leaned into it, and racked up 34 flips.

If Skyhawk stays flat for you, your body isn't the problem. You're just not pumping it. It's a swing you fly with two wings, and the fix is to work them in rhythm instead of sitting still and hoping.

The real numbers

34Flips, one ride

60His record

75The ride's ceiling

Me · fought it

My son · pumped it

Skyhawk's Flight Training sign at the ride entrance. The MILD column reads: slowly and gently move wings in the same direction. The WILD column reads: slowly and gently alternate wings in opposing directions; shift body weight in the direction the seat is moving; once the seat slows its rotation, shift body weight and wings in the other direction. — **The ride literally tells you how.** It's posted right at the entrance: MILD (both wings the same way) or WILD (alternate the wings, lean with the motion, then reverse when you slow). Almost nobody reads past MILD, so almost nobody flips. The 6 steps below are just the WILD column, spelled out.

The method

Six moves, in order

Do them in sequence. It's the same rhythm as pumping a swing, and step 3 is where almost everyone loses the spin.

Set the wings, one up and one down

Any seat works. Push one wing control forward and the other back so the wings sit at opposite angles. That opposing tilt is what the wind grabs. It's the setup, not the spin yet.

Lean into the low wing

Shift your body weight toward the wing that's dipped. That starts a slow rock, like the first push on a swing. Small at first, then let it build.

Switch the wings the second your momentum stops

This is the step everyone misses. At the top of each rock, the instant you stop rising, flip both wings to the opposite angle. Timing beats muscle here.

Lean the new direction

Your weight follows the new low wing. Every switch-and-lean adds to the last one, so the rock grows a little bigger each cycle.

Keep pumping, higher each time

Same rhythm as a swing: switch, lean, switch, lean. Each pump carries you higher. Don't rush it and don't freeze up.

Over the top, lock in and keep leaning

Once a pump takes you past vertical, you flip. Now stop switching, hold the wings, and keep leaning the way you're going. The flips chain together on their own.

Which rides this works on

It's not just Skyhawk

Skyhawk is a Gerstlauer Sky Roller. The same wing-controlled hardware, and the same method, is installed at parks worldwide. If it has two wing controls and it spins, this works.

Ride	Park	Model	Notes
Skyhawk	Canada's Wonderland	Sky Roller	Opened 2016, 135 ft. Up to 75 flips if you work the wings.
Dragon Racer's Rally	Universal Epic Universe	Sky Fly ×2	Isle of Berk. Same family, same technique.
Sky Fly / Sky Roller	Parks worldwide	Gerstlauer	If you control the wings, this guide applies.

Ride lineups change. Check what's operating at your park before you go.

Questions

Sky Roller FAQ

How do you make Skyhawk, the airplane ride, spin?

Set the wings at opposite angles, one up and one down. Lean into the low wing to start a rock, then switch both wings the instant your momentum stops at the top. Pump it in rhythm like a swing and it builds until you flip over the top. The ride's own Flight Training sign calls this the WILD setting.

How many times can you flip on Skyhawk?

Skyhawk tops out around 75 flips, but the number is up to you, because you spin it, the ride doesn't spin you. My son hit 34 flips in a single ride, and his personal best is 60. Most riders get zero.

Does leaning your body make Skyhawk spin?

Yes. Leaning is half the technique. You shift your weight into the low wing to start the rock, then switch the wings and lean the other way. The sign at the ride literally tells you to shift your body weight in the direction the seat is moving.

Which seat on Skyhawk spins the most?

Any seat can flip. The wing-and-lean pump works from anywhere on the gondola, so seat choice matters far less than timing. Focus on the rhythm, not the seat.

Is Skyhawk the same as Dragon Racer's Rally at Epic Universe?

Effectively yes. Dragon Racer's Rally at Universal Epic Universe is a pair of Gerstlauer Sky Flys, the same family as Skyhawk's Sky Roller. The wing controls and the flipping technique are the same, so this trick works on both.

Is Skyhawk safe, and can you get stuck upside down?

Yes it's safe, and no, you won't get stuck. When the ride slows at the end the wings lose airflow and the gondola settles level on its own.